Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1887-11-17
THE HORSE WHISPERER.'
THE STRANGE FEArs OF A cURER
OF VICIOUS ANIMALS.


Rainbow the Bitter : The Savage
King Pippin : Mysterious and
Marvellous Power.
1t is commonly believed that there are
undoubtedly mysterious influences by
which an immediate ascendency is
gained over the horse, independent Of
teaching or the promptings of affection.
There was formerly living in the County
Of Cork family who laid claim to the
possession of secret by which the Wild
est or most vicious horse could be tanned.
This secret is said to have been originally
impaired by Bohemian gypsy to the
then head Of the family, century and a
half ago, and to have been regularly
transmitted, as parting legacy at the
time Of death, from the father to the
eldest son. Possibly there may be resid-
ing in County Cork scion of the family
still practising, with more or less success,
the art of ''horse whispering;" but it is
an indisputable fact that at the COM
mencement of the present century the
famous Con Sullivan, the then head of
the family, for miraculous cures of vi
cious horses had spread far and wide
throughout Ireland.
Among the many well attested ac-
counts of the wonderful achievements of
Con Sullivan, ''the Whisperer," the
services which he rendered to Colonel
Westenra, who afterward succeeded to
the title of Rossmore, were the talk of the
whole country. The Colonel had a
splendid race horse called Rainbow, and
he was anxious to run him at the races
on the Curragh of Kildare; but he was
so wild and vicious that his owner found
that he must give up all thought of bring
ing him out and running him. He would
bite every one who went near him like
the present Lord Falmouth's brute Muley
Edris, who ''savaged" the late Fred
Archer's arm), and it was necessary to
tie UP his head when the groom who at
tended him was with him. If horse
CHANGED to be near him, he was sure to
bite him or try to; and the legs of the
jockey who attempted to mount him did
not escape his faugs. Lord Doneraile
said he knew a person who could cure
uIi1. luo OOiOuoL COulo uob uCIONC
him, and wager of 81, 900 was laid on
the matter. A messenger was de-
spatched for Con Sullivan, who
was known throughout the country
side as ''the Whisperer," from the
supposition that he whispered into
tbs horses ear, by which means
he quieted such as were unruly. When
he was told the state of Col. Westenra's
horse he desired to go into the stable
| to see him. ''You must wait until his
head is tied up" was said and repeated
| by those who were present. mo occa-
sion," said Con, ''he won't bite me. "
So in he went, after peremptorily order
ing no one to follow him till given
signal should imply that they had his
permission. He then shut the door for
the unenviable tete-a-tete. In little
more than quarter of an hour the sig
nal was heard. Those who had been
waiting in alarm for the result rushed in.
| They found the horse extended on his
back, playing like kitten with ''the
Whisperer, T" who was quietly sitting by
him. Both horse and operator appeared
exhausted, particularly the latter, tC
| whom it was necessary to administer
brandy and other stimulants before ht
could be revived. The horse was per.
fectly tame and gentle from that day.
In the spring of 1904 Mr.. Whaley's
| King Pippin was brought out to run Of
the Curragh of Kildare. He has been
described as horse of the most savage
and vicious disposition; he had habit
of flying at and worrying any person who
came near him. When he could turn his
head round he would seize the riders
leg with his teeth and drag him from his
back. The difficulty of managing such
a horse may be conceived, and on this oc.
casion it was impossible to put bride
on him. The Whisperer was now sent
for. He remained shut up in the stable
all night. In the morning King Pippin
was seen following him like dog-lying
down at the word OF command and per.
mitting any person, without resistance,
to put his hand into his mouth, while he
stood "gentle as lamb" He was
brought cut in the course Of the meeting,
was run, and won the race.
The power of s'the Whisperer' il
| glanced at in Burrows Bible in Spain,
from VIII ch, too, it would appear that he
had taken some lessons in his art II
"lavengro, the Scholar he enlarges Oh
the sub ect; and from what he says il
would appear that the cure Of the anima
is effected by word. The smith ol
whom he speaks, he tel us, uttered 3
word which I have never heard before, ir
a sharp and pungent tone. The etfect
upon myself was something extraordi
nary strange thrill ran through me, but
with regard to the cob it was terrible
The animal forthwith became like one
mad, and roared and kicked with the
utmost desperation. He afterward ut
tered another word in voice singularly
modified, but sweet and almost pIaintive
The effect of it was instantaneous as thai
OF the other, but was different; the ami
NAL lost all its fury and became at once
calm and gentle" This extraordinary
power, hitherto so inexplicable, may
now, perhaps, be traced to mesmerism
by such as believe in it.-&. James
/ Enseitg